


From this day on (now and forever more)

by Emily_Davison



Series: You'll Be in My Heart [1]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Crying, Dead May Parker (Spider-Man), Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Fluff, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, Insomnia, Parent Tony Stark, Parent-Child Relationship, Past Character Death, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Whump, Peter Parker is a Mess, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Relationships, Poor Peter Parker, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Precious Peter Parker, Protective Tony Stark, Sick Peter Parker, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony adopts Peter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2020-04-29
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:13:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23909032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emily_Davison/pseuds/Emily_Davison
Summary: After May's funeral, Peter suffers from insomnia and Tony is there to pick up the pieces.
Relationships: Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: You'll Be in My Heart [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1723405
Comments: 20
Kudos: 333
Collections: The Best Irondad/Spiderson Fics, The Best Peter Parker Whump Fics





	From this day on (now and forever more)

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys! I'm really excited to share this with you all, this is my first proper story I'm posting on here and it's something I've been wanting to write for a while. There are so many beautiful works out there which imagine Aunt May dies and Tony adopts Peter, so I wanted to explore my own take on this, I'd probably say that this series takes place sometime after Spider-Man Homecoming as Peter is still fifteen, but Tony and Peter still have the comfortable rapport they share in Infinity War.
> 
> This series is heavily inspired by two of my favourite fics out there, 'what you were then I am today' by madasthesea and 'All the Stars Align' by Ashleyparker2815, please check them out if you haven't come across them because they're absolutely fantastic and deserve some more love :)
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy and please let me know if you have any prompts or ideas for this story, I'm very excited to see where I can take this and would be more than happy to accept some imput!

Peter couldn't sleep, he hadn't properly slept for days and it was becoming so persistent that he dreaded going to bed every night. It had only been a week since he lost his aunt and moved into the Avengers Facility with Tony Stark. He still had to pinch himself often to remind himself that it wasn't a dream and this was his new reality - living with his hero, the great Iron Man, and (sometimes) the rest of the Avengers. When the hospital rung, Peter had called the first person he thought of and that was Tony, the only remaining adult figure in his life and when the billionaire arrived, he took one look at Peter's trembling form and wasted no time in taking the pale faced, traumatized teenager into his arms and bringing him home with him. 

The funeral took place a few days later, Tony having made all the arrangements swiftly so that Peter wouldn't have to delay in expressing his grief. The whole time, the boy didn't say a word, he didn't even cry and whenever Tony tried to initiate conversation with him, Peter only responded with closed answers like 'yes' and 'no' and when they returned home, Peter locked himself in his room again, only showing his face for meals. Tony didn't acknowledge the red-rimmed eyes and big bags beneath them.

Peter didn't show any interest in Spider-Man and Tony was reluctant to leave the boy, so he passed on superhero responsibilities to the other Avengers as well, which Steve agreed was probably for the best once the kid settled in. Pepper was incredibly supportive of Tony's decision to take Peter in and reassured Tony that if he ever needed help or someone to watch the boy when he needed his own time just ask, which only made the man love her even more. He really needed to get that wedding planned, but for now, there was a certain Spiderling that needed his full attention, even when he barely saw the kid apart from meal times.

Peter wasn't intentionally avoiding his mentor. He missed his aunt so much that it physically hurt and she was all he could really think about seeing as she had been the most important person in his life since Uncle Ben died. However, there was another part of him that desperately wanted to cling to his new guardian and never let go. He didn't want to be more of a bother than he probably already was, knowing that the billionaire could only have taken him in because he felt obliged to. Tony Stark just wasn't the type to want kids and even the Avengers appeared slightly taken aback when Peter turned up at the facility, the suitcase that once belonged to his uncle at his feet and his backpack slung over one shoulder. Although the teen had these thoughts, Tony had been nothing but the supportive, attentive figure he had always been and his warm presence hadn't gone unnoticed by Peter. 

On the seventh night, Peter lay in bed wide awake, the duvet tangled around his legs. Everything in his room had already been prepared by Tony shortly before he'd offered Peter to join the Avengers and the teen was still attempting to comprehend the fact that he was staying in one of the most expensive facilities in the world with everything he could possibly need in plentiful supply for him. He'd never slept in a queen sized bed before, the duvet and covers were of the best quality one with billions could afford and he also had a wardrobe full of branded clothes, as well as a computer desk with a state of the art Stark Industries laptop. It had taken a few nights for Peter to even try on his new clothes and get settled in his bed, finding the expensive fabric almost too over bearing compared to the cheap material he was used to sleeping in, but it didn't make much difference to him anyway as he hadn't had one decent night's rest since moving in. 

Glancing at the clock beside him, he read that it was two in the morning and tears of frustration stung his tired eyes. He was so desperate for sleep that he felt like crying in despair, he was so deprived at this point that he would happily make camp on the floor. His thoughts drifted to his mentor and his chest ached with fondness as he mused over everything the man had done for him; he couldn't have asked for a better guardian. The fact that Tony had sat him down and asked whether he would even consider letting the man adopt him brought tears to his eyes and he had tackled the unsuspecting genius into a tight embrace, crying into his shoulder and whispering a hundred 'thank yous' at once, Tony holding him just as tightly. With that thought lingering in his mind and giving up on attempting to sleep in the bed that was too big for him, he sat up and grabbed a couple pillows, before sluggishly shuffling out the room to Tony's just a couple doors down from him. He didn't go in, though, he slumped down outside the door and drifted in and out of consciousness for the rest of the night. If Peter knew that Tony was also awake, he probably wouldn't have set foot out of his own room.

...

A few hours later, the billionaire awoke from his short nap and rose to quietly open his bedroom door, hoping that the poor kid wasn't leaning against it and end up landing at the man's feet. As much as it had pained him to leave the teen outside all night, he didn't want to overstep the mark and upset the kid if he approached him, as Peter had shown many times during their week together when he preferred to be alone and Tony knew when not to push the boy. The man's heart swelled with an aching fondness when he saw Peter lying in a foetal position, asleep, just outside the door, breathing softly and looking much younger than he actually was, especially with his messy bed hair and _Hello Kitty_ bottoms (the stupid ones he had bought him, Tony realized with a pang). 

Tony crouched down, a tender expression clouding his handsome features as he reached forward to gently brush the chestnut curls from the kid's fore-head, smiling softly when the boy unconsciously leaned into the touch. God, he wished things could be easier for the two of them, he wished the kid would come to him when he needed comfort. Tony knew what it was like first hand to lose a parent and he knew that touch-starved, empty look on a child anywhere; he just wanted Peter to know that he could always come to him if he needed to.

Tony carefully slipped his hands underneath the teen and lifted him into his arms, releasing a small grunt at the weight, but because of Peter's spider bite the kid certainly didn't weigh as much as he ought to at fifteen. He staggered back into the room he had just vacated and deposited the boy onto his own bed, taking a moment to pull the duvet to Peter's chin and brush the curls from the kid's face, before reluctantly going to get ready for the day.

...

Peter didn't comment on the fact that he woke up in Tony's bed, but he did quietly request, whilst the man was putting their breakfast dishes away, if they could watch _Star Wars_ in the evening. Tony viewed this as the boy finally opening up to him and he quickly agreed before the kid could change his mind. Peter sat so close to Tony that their legs were touching, until the man slung an arm around his shoulders and pulled him close to his chest and that's where Peter remained for the rest of the film, head on Tony's shoulder as he silently counted each steady thump of the man's heart.

Peter didn't sleep again that night. He stared at the ceiling and thought about May, the endless cycle of his evenings returning to him even though he'd managed to relax somewhat when he was with Tony. When two hours crept by, the pain in his chest returned and his lower lip trembled with the strain of his inner turmoil as being alone with the horrors of his own mind became too much for him. He wanted Tony. He needed him like a drowning man needed air and with that thought, Peter ripped the covers from his sweaty body and stumbled to his feet, banishing all thoughts of his aunt and uncle from his mind as he thought only of Tony. His heart was pounding by the time he reached his mentor's room, but he didn't let that sway him as he quietly entered, not bothering with knocking as he wasn't even sure whether the man was awake.

As it so happened, Tony was awake, although it wasn't immediately obvious as he was lying on his side, arm hugging the pillow to his black tank top. A small smile tugged at his lips when he heard the kid shuffle in, relieved that Peter had finally come to him and he rolled onto his back. "Hey, kid." 

A sharp gasp, then "Oh shi-Tony!" Peter exclaimed. "What the heck, I didn't realize you were up!"

Tony chuckled. "Yeah, no shit, Sherlock." He reached over to turn the light on, eyes squinting at the sudden harsh light, before propping the pillows so he could sit up. He smirked at how endearingly cute Peter looked, awkwardly wringing his hands in the hem of his grey hoodie and sporting some serious bed hair.

Peter bit his lip, nervously, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "Um, sorry for just bursting in, but-"

"Come 'ere, kid," Tony swiftly cut him off, patting the space beside him and inclining his head towards it, shooting the kid a knowing smile. "Not taking no for an answer this time."

Peter's cheeks blushed red, but the billionaire didn't miss the tiny smile that pulled at his lips, as he moved forward and clambered onto the king sized bed. Once he was underneath the covers, he sat rather rigidly against the headboard, clearly very uncomfortable and not sure what to do next, but Tony was having none of it. He gingerly wrapped his arm around the teen and pulled him close, tucking the boy's curly head underneath his chin and using his other hand to comb his fingers through Peter's hair, untangling small knots in the process.

"I'm right here, buddy, I'm not going to let you go," Tony murmured, thinking on how perfectly the kid fit into his arms and the unconditional love that flowed through him as he felt the boy eventually relax into the hold, submitting to the man's touch. 

"I miss her..." Peter spoke after a few minutes of comfortable silence, cuddling closer and releasing a content sight as the man played with his curls, twisting individual strands around his fingers. "I keep trying to go to sleep, but I just see her face," he sniffled, rubbing his watering eye with his fist.

"I'm sorry, kid. I wish I could take all that away from you," Tony said, sympathetically, his tone soft and hushed, as he continued tenderly stroking the boy's hair. "When my parents died, I kept seeing mum's face all the time when I went to bed, but do you know how things got better eventually?" He had never told anybody about this before, never talked to somebody about his grief, not even Rhodey and he was surprised with how naturally the words slipped from his lips when he was with the kid. His kid. 

Peter pushed himself up to rest his weight on his elbow, Tony's hand falling from his hair, so he could look the man in the eye. He recognized immediately that this was a touchy subject for the man to bring up and he was shocked with how easily the man spoke of it with him. "How?" He asked.

The billionaire gazed at the teen with gooey dark chocolate brown eyes, sparkling with adoration, as he took in the boy's young face and big doe eyes, filled with trust and eagerness. He didn't deserve this kid, but he would do right by him, he would be better than Howard. "I kept a photo of her beside my bed, so she could always be with me, just like May can be for you," Tony spoke, smiling softly as he smoothed Peter's messy hair back down, gently catching the tear that dribbled down the boy's cheek on his thumb. 

Peter released a small sob, but he had a shaky smile on his face, sniffling and reaching up to rub his eye. He tucked his head back under the man's chin, gripping the tank top tightly and Tony didn't hesitate to wrap his arms round his kid again. "Tony?" The boy spoke, voice quiet and small, almost too quiet for the man to hear.

"Hmm?" The genius hummed, threading his fingers through Peter's hair.

"You won't leave me, will you?"

Tony's heart broke at the innocent plea and he hugged his kid tightly, resting his chin in the soft curls. "No buddy, I'm staying right here with you," he murmured against the boy's temple.

A sleepy hum was his response and soon, the two finally slept, safe in each other's arms.


End file.
